The Parker Road Race – May 18, 2008

NAME: The Parker Road Race & Springfest

DATE: May 18, 2008

LOCATION: Start and end at the FW Parker Charter Essential School in Devens, MA

WEBSITE

CONDITIONS: Sunny, mild

RACE: 
      Course Difficulty: Moderate – Hilly course, several gradual climbs and declines
      Course Appearance: Pretty – Goes through the wooded residential sections of Devens
      Race Organization: Good – Well organized and streamlined, awards ceremony could have been a tad smoother
      Course Safety: Excellent – Light traffic, state police in all necessary locations
      Support: Below Average – Sparse support throughout course, solid crowd at the finish line
      Recommend: Yes – A small race (numbers wise) but a good course and a fun time

RESULT: 14/84 – First in age division (Official Results from Cool Running)

BACKGROUND: An all day event that is focused around the 5 Mile road race. Benefiting the FW Parker Charter Essential School, this years proceeds went to the new building fund, as the school is looking to add a new wing on to the school. Three races take place during the event, the Tot Trot, 2 Mile, and the 5 Mile. After the race, you can listen to music, play games, get a massage, participate in raffles, or simply hang out on the lawn during the Springfest. It really is a great time!

MY EXPERIENCE: I can easily say that, as a package, this was the best event that I have been a part of so far. The course was fun and provided a nice challenge for a beginning runner, it was well organized, and the festivities were awesome as well.

My hip was still a little stiff, but it loosened up quickly into the race. My first mile I ran a 6:13 pace, but that quickly fell off. I think that I started off too quickly because each mile was a little longer in terms of my time. However, it still felt good to know that I could actually run a mile that quickly.

The race course was very nice, in my opinion. For the most part, it was gradual rolling hills. There were a handful of brief flat spots, but those were not exactly common. Throughout the course, there were accurate time splits, several water stops, and some ok support (mostly from the volunteers, but that’s ok). The accurate time splits were refreshing after last week, as my overall time was way off last week at the Helen Driscoll Road Race (more on that later).

When I crossed the finish line, I was able to clock a 34:59 total time, good for basically a 7:00 minute mile. For me, I was pleased. First, I placed first in my division (even though there were only three people in my age group), and secondly, it means that I have shaved about 10 seconds off my mile time – and this was on a course almost two miles longer and much hillier than my baseline (the Stewart Savage 5K). I was suspicious of last weeks’ time of 6:33 per mile at the Helen Driscoll Road Race, and this pretty much confirms my hunch that the clock was way off last weekend. I’ll leave the times as is on that page since those are the official results, but keep in mind that those are off.

Unfortunately, I was unable to hang around for the Springfest portion of the event, but it looked like a good time.

Overall, this was a great event. I hope that I am around to do it again next year (I’ll likely be at college), and it was well worth it! I haven’t chosen my race for next weekend (I can’t do Boston’s Run to Remember…sigh), but it’ll likely be a similar distance. On the whole very pleased after this event!

Training Log – May 16, 2008

SCHEDULE: Prep run, stretch

RUN:
      Length: 2.89 miles
      Time: 22:02
      Pace: 7:37 per mile
      Calories Burned: 446

CONDITIONS: Cool, overcast, light breeze

NOTES: Decent run today. The course I ran was pretty hilly, so my pace was a little slower than I would have liked, but it’s not a big deal. These runs are pretty calm and easy for me anyway, I certainly am not trying to break any personal records or anything.

While on the whole the run was good, I was a little concerned about some pain in my back that also traveled down my leg. I tripped yesterday and fell awkwardly on my hip (there is a substantial bruise at the moment), but this was the first time that it displayed any real pain (other than the slight tenderness that comes with bruises). It loosened up after a little while, but the first two thirds of a mile were pretty tough. Hopefully the off-day tomorrow will do it a lot of good.

I am upset with myself that I planned my time so poorly today. I woke up late, so that screwed some things up, but I still should have been able to squeeze in some kind of weight lifting routine. Only one workout this week is very disappointing.

Anyway, can’t wait to get through the off-day Saturday! My training for this week is complete! Next up: The Parker Road Race & Springfest!

Training Log – May 13, 2008

SCHEDULE: Long Run and Stretch.

RUN:
     Length: 5 mi.
      Time: 47 minutes
      Pace: 9:26 per mile
      Calories Burned: 776

CONDITIONS: Some wind, partly sunny

DESCRIPTION: I have always known that water is important. However, today I learned the hard way just how much more important water is than I originally thought. About two miles into my run, everything started. The cramps, tired legs, poor breathing, etc. It was like a chain reaction that I couldn’t stop. Around mile 2.5, I began wondering why was having such bad cramps at this point, when I had just run a 4.2 mile race and had had barely any cramps at all? Then I noticed the dry mouth, chapped lips, etc. My water intake today compared with the average amount of water that I take in during a normal day was definitely lower. I had to cut my run short (I was planning on doing something closer to six miles), and there were several times that I had to stop and walk. This is my first real trial so far in my two weeks of real running. Fortunately, I know what the problem is and it is easily correctible: just drink more water before, during, and after running! I still have two more runs before the Parker Road Race (5 miles) in Devens on Sunday, so hopefully I’ll be able to straighten everything out.